So yeah, it's been a while... let me explain.  As many of you know I am pregnant.  And I'm not a fan of being pregnant.  Also, this pregnancy was a surprise, and as Ethan complains I'm not good with surprises.  Double Whammy!!!!  The past 26 weeks have been quite a physical, emotional, and mental roller coaster.  As weird as it sounds, I still have not come to grips with being pregnant...  I'm trying to focus on the positive but when I think about this baby coming I just think about how we are not ready for this at all.  At least I am done being ridiculously sick and pulling out of a period of depression.  I'm trying to get my butt into gear and getting out of the house and focusing on all the blessings in my life.  It's crazy how you can put up your own mental road blocks and be blinded to the good in your life.  So here is a brief catch up on the last 26 weeks of life...

We celebrated Christmas.  I finally finished Elliott's stocking, just a year late...  We had all of Ethan's family in town and it was great.  We had great dinners, played games, movies, and family photos.  Maddy and Elliott enjoyed having so much attention.  I even joked over Christmas how hungry I was all the time and that I couldn't get enough food... yeah.. PREGNANT!

Post Christmas all us Zmoos ladies went shopping with some of our Christmas cash.  We literally shopped till we dropped!  I bought a few new pieces of new clothes that in hindsight were poor purchases due already growing belly.  They'll get some use next year I guess.

Luckily it was a mild winter, the kids enjoyed the snow and I enjoyed only having the shovel the drive way a few times.  Oh, and I couldn't resist getting Elliott a moose hat... 

As winter progressed, so did my nausea and vomiting.  It was rough to say the least.  I ended up going to the hospital 3 times for IV's.  But my poor kids (and Ethan) survived me sick and couch bound.  There aren't too many photos because we didn't do much, plus I wasn't in the camera mood.

As the winter faded away the kiddos were dying to go outside and I still being sick was just making it through the day.  With much help from Ethan, Karen, and even visits from Grandma Zmoos the kids got to enjoy the early spring.  They still continue to help me and take the kids and give me much needed breaks.

As Easter approached Maddy and Elliott both got sick!  I bought candy and eggs for 3 egg hunts which Maddy didn't get to attend...  So we had way to much chocolate in the house!  You'd think that would be awesome for a preggo... but I was still sick and just the sight of chocolate made my stomach churn.  We still were able to dye eggs and do an impromptu egg hunt at Karen's so the kids didn't miss out too much.

Up next was Maddy's birthday.  I can't believe this big, little girl is four!  Literally a few days before her birthday I started feeling less nauseous and as bad as I felt, I knew I'd be sad if we didn't throw her a little party.  So we invited over Allie Clement and she and Maddy had a spa day/tea party.  They had tons of fun painting nails, doing mud masks, and sipping "tea."  I had great help from Karen and Abbey and it may have been the easiest party ever.

A couple weeks later Maddy graduated from preschool.  She LOVED preschool!  She had so much fun learning, making friends, and bonding with her teacher Mrs. Janey.  Her graduation program was adorable, of course!  Sadly I got poor seats and the video camera ran out of batteries... so luckily I did get a very few good shots.

Elliott has been growing leaps and bounds in the last few months.  He is working on talking and will say go, set go, dog, and he may have said tickle, juice, and what really sounds like spongebob.  That last one makes me laugh and a little sad!  He climbs on everything and gives me heart attacks when I find him onto of things or on ladders about to fall at the park.  He laughs uncontrolably at anything slapstick, has successfully jumped, and will just walk up and cuddle you.  He is such a sweetie and still my little guy.

More recently Maddy dropped a glass vase and had to get 3 stitches.  She did really well in the hospital and was so brave when Ethan cut them out... but she still insists on having a bandaid covering the scar at all times.  She has now become a bandaid-aholic and any little owie now must have a bandaid and will freak out if it falls off and she sees any of her scrapes or cuts.

Now that we're caught up... we have just been spending days at the park and anything outside!  We bought pool passes and Maddy begs daily to go and "swim."

By the way, I am aware there are no preggo pictures of me.  I am bigger than a house and hate the way I look and refuse to be in pics.  I did get a hair cut and have gone a little blonde, so here's at least a head shot.  Love you all... Sorry if I've neglected you... I will work on being better!